1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to playpens and mattresses for infants and young children, and more specifically to playpens and mattresses that may be easily collapsed, transported, and erected in a different location.
2. Description of the Related Art
Playpens, enclosed structures in which a baby can be safely left alone to play, have been in use for decades. Traditional playpens include a square base and square walls, the base having a soft cushion for the baby""s comfort and the walls typically designed to keep the child inside. Although safe, traditional playpens do not look to be very appealing places to leave infants by themselves, owing to their cube-like shapes and sparse appearance. Playpens are only as much fun as the toys parents put in them. However, infants tend to throw toys out of the playpen and then vociferously complain (e.g., scream, cry, etc.) that they have no toys in the playpen. Parents must retrieve the toys and replace them in the playpen. This process is frequently repeated, often to the dismay and irritation of the parents.
Also, traditional playpens have been difficult to erect and collapse, thereby limiting their portability. Further, traditional playpens have been limited primarily for indoor use, owing to the possibility of ground moisture seeping into the bottom of the playpen or from rain or other precipitation falling on the infant from above.
U.S. Pat. No. Design 359,869 to Oren depicts a portable, collapsible baby mattress having a fabric base and two curved supports extending from opposite corners of the mattress and crossing above the center of the mattress. Toys may be attached to the curved supports so that the baby may play with them without throwing them away and forcing his/her parents to retrieve them. The Oren mattress is also easily collapsed and is very portable.
The Oren mattress suffers from a number of the deficiencies of traditional playpens. First, the Oren mattress is completely open above and on the sides to precipitation and insects. Second, Oren does not teach any enclosure to prevent or deter a baby placed thereon from simply crawling away. Third, the Oren device cannot be practically used outside because ground moisture will readily seep through the mattress and leave a soggy play area for the baby. Also, as with conventional playpens, the Oren device does not shield the baby from dangerous exposure to sunlight.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a playpen for a baby that is easily collapsible and portable.
It is another object of the invention to provide a playpen for a baby that is usable in both indoor and outdoor settings.
It is another object of the invention to provide an attractive baby mattress that deters babies from crawling away and at the same time prevents toys from rolling away and insects from coming near the child.
It is another object of the invention to provide a playpen or mattress for a baby that prevents babies from hurling toys out of the playpen.
It is another object of the invention to provide a playpen for a baby that will protect the baby from exposure to the sun.
It is another object of the invention to provide a playpen or mattress for a baby that will protect the baby from precipitation and insects in an outdoor setting.
The above and other objects are achieved by the invention, which is a portable playpen/mattress for newborns, infants and young children. The invention includes a flexible padded base and a plurality of substantially open walls all preferably consecutively attached to each other. The walls are attachable to the base substantially perpendicular to the base. When the walls are attached to the base, the playpen is in an erected configuration, and when the walls are detached from the base and folded one on top of another, the playpen is a collapsed and thus easily transported configuration. The base is attachable to the walls in two configurations. When the corners of the base are curled around the leg portions of the walls, the base is in an upturned or rimmed configuration, and when the leg portions are directly attached to an upper surface of the base, the base is in a planar or flat configuration. A reversible roof is selectively attachable to the walls. The roof will shield the baby from direct sunlight. Toys may be attached to or suspended from fabric sheet portions of the walls and/or hooks on the roof so as to prevent the baby from throwing them out of the playpen. All of the components which may be selectively attached and detached may be done so by any conventional attaching means, such as micro-hook fasteners (e.g., VELCRO), a zipper, a tie, laces, a snap, a buckle, a magnet, adhesive, and/or a hook. The walls are substantially open, arc-shaped flexible rods covered with fabric to form an open archway. In the preferred embodiment, four walls are secured together to form a dome-like structure by attaching one leg of a wall element to a leg of an adjacent wall element. In the preferred embodiment, all four walls may have their legs permanently sewn together. Nevertheless, the structure can be folded with one wall on top of another wall so that the collapsed configuration is four stacked wall sections.
An outer cover is adapted to enclose the base and the walls in the erected configuration. The outer cover preferably includes an upper water-resistant roof portion positionable over the roof of the playpen. This upper portion prevents rain or other precipitation from striking the baby and wetting the base. The outer cover may also preferably include a central porous or mesh portion positionable in front of the walls, or at least in front of the open portions of the walls. The mesh allows air to circulate through the interior of the playpen but keeps insects out of the interior and away from the baby. The outer cover may also preferably include a lower water-resistant base portion positionable below the base adapted to keep ground moisture from seeping up and into the base. A zipper may be provided as an easy mechanism to open and close the cover, as desired. In an alternate embodiment, small fabric loops can be suspended from the center of the fabric covering the wall sections to provide support for toys, e.g., hand manipulatives and/or mobile articles. In an alternate embodiment, C or O-shaped connector elements interconnect between the fabric loops, just mentioned, and the hand manipulatives and/or mobile articles. These connector elements can, in an alternate embodiment, be teething rings, pacifiers and/or rattles.